A thoroughly entertaining book about one man's quest to find the truth about the last taboo: human bodily wastes. The author insightfully describes just how we humans got ourselves into our current ecological nightmare, wanting our bodily effluents to be out of sight, out of mind and never discussed. In the 1960s, like many young men and women, Mark Nelson was seeking meaningful work. Leaving his big city ways and Ivy League roots behind, Nelson landed on a communal farm in arid New Mexico where he learned what all farmers used to know: That the proper use of sewage is incredibly important to restoring and maintaining arability of soil. His journey then took him to managing the sewage system of the most spectacular biological experimentof the 20th century, Biosphere 2. Having fallen in love with wetlands, Nelson returned to university for a PhD and went on to construct wastewater gardens all over the world: From the Yucatan to the Bahamas, from the Philippines to France, from Morocco to New Mexico and Australia.

The book's illustrations include whimsical original drawings by artist Corinna MacNeice, plus schematic diagrams that make it easy to follow how various waste treatment systems work. There are a number of colour plates that show the beauty that it is possible to achieve by installing and maintaining wastewater gardens. A bibliography that will satisfy gardeners, ecologists and scholars is included.

Nelson's book is a plea for mindful use of our natural water resources to ensure the long-term health of the planet and all its life forms.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Nelson was one of the eight-person crew in the 2 year closure experiment in Biosphere 2, 1991-93. He is Chairman of the Institute of Ecotechnics, and one of its founding directors and Associate Editor of Advances in Space Research journal. Head of Wastewater Gardens International and a vice-chair of the closed ecological system section of COSPAR (the Intl. Committee of Space), he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Book Description Synergetic Press Inc.,U.S., United States, 2014. Paperback. Condition: New. Language: English . Brand New Book. Mark Nelson, PhD, takes us on a global expedition to learn how we are wasting the worlda (TM)s dwindling supply of fresh water by flushing away a very valuable resource, our own human wastes! The author is founding director of the Institute of Ecotechnics and has worked for several decades in closed ecological systems research. As one of eight brave souls enclosed in the pioneering Biosphere 2 experiment, Nelson realized how essential the proper use of human waste is to the health of the planet. This, combined with his lifelong love affair with constructed wetlands, led to the discovery of Wastewater Gardens, an important solution to some of our trickiest global environmental dilemmas. While the problems and case studies covered in this book are indeed quite serious, Marka (TM)s approach to the subject makes for a fun, down-to-earth and very informative read. The foreword is written by renowned British environmentalist Tony Juniper. Seller Inventory # AAS9780907791515

Book Description Synergetic Press Inc.,U.S., United States, 2014. Paperback. Condition: New. Language: English . Brand New Book. Mark Nelson, PhD, takes us on a global expedition to learn how we are wasting the worlda (TM)s dwindling supply of fresh water by flushing away a very valuable resource, our own human wastes! The author is founding director of the Institute of Ecotechnics and has worked for several decades in closed ecological systems research. As one of eight brave souls enclosed in the pioneering Biosphere 2 experiment, Nelson realized how essential the proper use of human waste is to the health of the planet. This, combined with his lifelong love affair with constructed wetlands, led to the discovery of Wastewater Gardens, an important solution to some of our trickiest global environmental dilemmas. While the problems and case studies covered in this book are indeed quite serious, Marka (TM)s approach to the subject makes for a fun, down-to-earth and very informative read. The foreword is written by renowned British environmentalist Tony Juniper. Seller Inventory # AAS9780907791515

Book Description Synergetic Press Inc.,U.S., United States, 2014. Paperback. Condition: New. Language: English . This book usually ship within 10-15 business days and we will endeavor to dispatch orders quicker than this where possible. Brand New Book. Mark Nelson, PhD, takes us on a global expedition to learn how we are wasting the worlda (TM)s dwindling supply of fresh water by flushing away a very valuable resource, our own human wastes! The author is founding director of the Institute of Ecotechnics and has worked for several decades in closed ecological systems research. As one of eight brave souls enclosed in the pioneering Biosphere 2 experiment, Nelson realized how essential the proper use of human waste is to the health of the planet. This, combined with his lifelong love affair with constructed wetlands, led to the discovery of Wastewater Gardens, an important solution to some of our trickiest global environmental dilemmas. While the problems and case studies covered in this book are indeed quite serious, Marka (TM)s approach to the subject makes for a fun, down-to-earth and very informative read. The foreword is written by renowned British environmentalist Tony Juniper. Seller Inventory # BTE9780907791515